Preserved cotton-boll.



W. W. GAYLE.

PRESERVED COTTON BOLL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29, 1912.

1,038,562, v Patented Sept. 17,1912.

avweuto'v WALTER W. GAYLE, F MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA.

rnnsunvnn sorrowonn.

038,562. Specification of To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, WALTER W. GAYLE,

a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Montgomery, in the, county of Montgomery and. State ofvAlabama, have invented certam new and usefulImprovements in Pre-' served Cotton-Bells, of which the following is a specification.

- The object of his invention is to rovide for the delaying of the opening 0 cotton bolls until such time as it may suit. the

(pleasure or convenience 50f those who may wish to use it in the open state for decorative purposes, for studying its development or other scientific purposes, for use in schools in instructing pupils in this base of plant life, for experimental use in develop- 1n cotton picking machinery, or for any generally provided.

'ot er purpose for which it may be used.

Gotton'from bolls harvested green or unopen and allowed to open subsequently out of the field, according to my invention, is not' subjected to, deteriorating weather conditions, nor to the collecting of dried leaves,

dirt, and-other foreign matter to which it would be subjected on the-growing plant in the field, thereby furnishing a better quality of unginned cotton for any use than is now The; 0 ening of a cotton' boll, after'the green bo l has reached a certain stage, is not a process of growth, but isdue to the drying out and war ing' of the hull of the boll so as to expose t e mclosed cotton to thedrying action ofthe suns rays which cause the cotton to expand into a flufi'y mass. This open-- process. may therefore be delayed inde mtely by harvesting the boll when green but suficiently matured to open, and surrounding. this b'oll by a closure which is impervious to air, soas-to prevent the necessary drying out action to cause the boll to open.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 indicates a green cotton bollprovided with a:

' preserving coating in accordance with one manner of carryin out my invention the I 4 said coating being shown artially removed;

. Fig; 2, indicates a cotton oll inclosed in an sents the air. tight jacket such, for example, as a jacket of poarafin paper, and Fig. 3, reprell when open.

Letters Patent. Patented Sept. rmaie.

Application filed February 29, 1912. Serial No. 680,670.

The closure may be of various kinds. For exam 1e, it may consist of a coating 1 of para 11 applied to the exterior of the green or unopen boll 2, by dipping the boll into melted paraiiin, or otherwlse, or'itmay consist in a coating or jacket of varnish, paint, silicate of soda or any desired compound or substance applied as a coating to the green boll, or the closure may consist of 'a jacket 3 of para-fin aper or other material conany other suitable inclosing means which will serve the purpose of my invention. In applying the coating 1 to the bolls, I prefer that it extend well on to the stem, or it may completely coverthe stem. The jacket 3. may be bound around the stem by a small wire cord or other binding means.

When it is desired to have the boll open, the coating or closure is removed, and the boll dried out either by hanging it in the sun, or in a room of ordinary temperature, or in any other desired way.

In Fig. 3, 5 indicates the cotton as itappears when a boll is open.

Without limiting my invention to the specific embodiments thereof, as herein shown, what Iclaim is:

1. As anew article of commerce, an unopened cotton boll incased in a covering of material impervious to air and moisture, whereby the said boll is reserved in its 11nopened state, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of commerce, an unopened cotton boll incased in a coating of moisture applied over the surface of the boll to reserve the same in the unopened state, su stan tially as described.

- 3. As a new article of commerce, an unopened cottonholl incased in a coating of parafin applied over the surface ofthe boll to preserve the same in the unopened state, substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

S. C. Doma n, 0. E. Dana.

stituting an air tight jacket for the boll, or

a substance which is impervious to air and v 

